More Been a While

Today I had a strong urge to Google the Dean of Students name where I had attended college...and what came up but an article which appeared in today's paper in that town where she died last night after a courage battle with cancer. I was so shocked. Knocked the wind right out of me. The students have been arriving at the local university less than a mile from where I now live and it always gets me thinking of when I went away to college and when my dear daughter went away to college.

I was SO HOMESICK! I'll never forget the Saturday that fall when I tried to call home from a phone booth. After calling parents, grandparents and not getting an answer I was balling (crying eyes out)trying to call anyone I could think of, and I found my Dad where he worked part-time on Saturdays. One of the faculty there was in her office heard me, got me out of the booth, told Daddy, she'd see to me not to worry. She called the nurse, Dean of Students, my advisor was on the same hallway and when she saw me she said she cried and cried as she too had been homesick and she had wondered about me the day I registered with her...either I was extremely homesick or something wrong with me mentally.

The Dean of Students came in with her hair in rollers, no makeup, shorts and t-shirt, called Daddy and told him I would be fine, they wanted to give me a sedative and I refused. He gave the OK for it to be mixed in a cup of coffee and to slip it to me however, my mother and grandfather were on the way and would be there in four hours to take me home.

After the coffee I calmed down, went back to my room and past out cold. A girl from neighboring county where I was from and had dated a boy from the high school where I attended came by and wanted me to walk with her and her roommate to the shopping center. By the time we returned, I was fine, mother and grandfather arrived, I decided to stay on and they made the four plus hour trip back home.

We were limited to a certain amount of overnights our first semester. I spread them out leaving five a.m. Saturday and returning Sunday night. Most times my grandparents came to pick me and my friend from neighboring county and returning us. This meant they had to get motel on Friday night and Sunday night. What grandparents with do for their grandchildren!!! Spoiled Brat you say??? Anyway, there was this college night in a city near from where I was from, we were given four free overnights if we attended it and talked up the college. That night my mother took me to it. Nice meal then we visited with seniors in area high schools telling them how great the college was and so forth. I'll never forget this one girl came up to me and asked if I liked it there...this Dean of Students heard her and moves closer knowing the Queen of Homesickness was cornered. I gave a huge southern smile and said I just loved it!!! How great it was and on and on. The girl and I chatted a while and when she and her mother got out of earshot Dean Davis looked at me, smiled and said from now on you may take all the overnights you desire!!! I'll make sure they are approved.

When it came time to sign up for our rooms for our sophomore year and register for classes she saw me in the cafeteria where all of that was taking place and she said if you are coming back any class you desire I'll see that you get into it and any room in any dorm is yours. you know know how happy I am to see that you are returning, I never thought in my life you would. I thanked her but told her I had my classes, reserved a room and I was very pleased.

After my freshman year whenever there was a homesick student, she would call me and ask me to go talk to them. She'd call me to her office to meet them or arrange for me to go to their room for a visit and she'd happen to stop by and tell the person that granted she was homesick HOWEVER I held the record and I survived.

I went on and graduated in four years and wouldn't take a thing for those four years and the wonderful people I knew then.

God Bless Dean Davis, enjoy your heavenly rewards...I'll never forget your beautiful smile and what a support you were to me in my most difficult days!!!

Been a while

It's been while since I last posted...a lot has happened. My mother's best friend since they were infants died. I lived part-time with them when doing my internship when in college and after I graduated for a few years. I would stay over with them instead of the hour drive home when I worked nights before I moved down here. Summers her daughter and I spent weeks with each other. Our families spent weekends together. Her daughter went with me to see my great-aunt for a week or two and I went with her to stay a week or two with her grandmother. When my mother developed the beginnings of dementia we cried on each other's shoulders. How ironic my mom was born a few months before her and died a few months before her in the same years.
She and I shared many of the same hobbies including sewing and quilting which my mother admired but didn't do. Mother knitted. Such a blessing she went to bed on night, unresponsive in the morning, and went to heaven a few hours later...massive cerebral hemorrhage.

Then a couple weeks after her leaving us for heaven my husband had an older friend who had been friends with his father and he left us for heaven too. He had been an invalid for several months and had dementia problems.

Then last weekend son-in-law's grandmother went to heaven too. She had cancer then a stroke, invalid the past year. Another blessing for a wonderful person who lived a full life, gave so much joy and gone to reap her reward.

Four beautiful loved ones who left us this year to reap their rewards for their wonderful long lives on this earth. Who lived a true Christian lives, didn't preach or push their beliefs on others but lived their lives as Christ would have them leading others to the Lord through the way they lived on this earth doing unto others as they would have done to them.

But as a sign from God that life goes on we are anxiously awaiting a new granddaughter on Sept. 12th. This baby's oldest sister who was two last Feb. started pre-school today. More of a meet the teacher and classmates for half an hour. We kept the other sister who was one last Feb. while Daddy took the oldest to her new venture. She had a good time. Loved their kitchen set. Those two are such a joy to us. We watch them while Mommy and Daddy are at work.

Sewing wise I've done a few shirts for my husband. Machine embroidering his name and a riding mower that looks similar to his. I also did a monogram on bathrobe for my daughter to take to hospital when she delivers the newest blessing to our family.

Sewing Notions

What are your favorite sewing notions? Some of mine include:

1. Bernina seam ripper---it's small and SO SHARP. It gets into tiny stitches and cuts like a sharp knife through hot butter.

2. Directional pins---a sewing buddy of mine gave me some the head of the pins are flat but have directions on them.

3. Glass head pins---don't melt when hot iron touches them.

4. Bamboo skewers---great for holding fabric you are sewing on near the needle of our machine.

5. The rolling chalk markers---I have them in white, yellow and blue.

6. Gingher rotary cutter---I LOVE it. Just recently got mine and it just glides through fabric. And feels wonderful in my hand.

7. Vent brush for cleaning heat/ac vents in vehicles---great cleaning bobbin area and other parts of sewing machine.

8. Toilet brush---cheap toilet cleaning brush, the type with the bristles being held in with a twisted wire that loops around coming out and into plastic handle...great for grabbing threads off of the floor.

9. Adhesive lint roller---for getting threads and lint from fabric off of my clothes I'm wearing while sewing.

10. Fusible knit interfacing---I use this for interfacing knits, stabilizing knits in tee-shirt quilts, apply to entire wrong side of faux suede fabric pieces makes it look like Ultrasuede.

11. White gift wrap tissue paper---I lay this down and then lace on top when heirloom sewing lace to lace, lace to entrudeux, lace to fabric. It keeps lace from getting drawn down into bobbin area.

12. Flower head pins.

13. Applique pins when hand sewing.

14. Blue wash away marker--the felt-tip type.

15. Fishing gloves--these are a loose knit gloves with a rubbery squiggles in the palms and on the fingers. Made for gripping fish. Great for controlling fabric being machined free-motion quilted.

16. Gingher scissors---every style and type they make.

17. Grab-it magnetic pin cushions. I own and use multiple of these for each type of pins I own.

18. Tape measure.

19. Multiple rulers in various widths and lengths.

20. Seam gauge ruler.

21. Post-it notes--for jotting down notes, marking places on rulers, marking places on sewing machine bed.

22. Retractable cord thing for attaching scissors. I have a quilted sewing caddy under my machine which a large pocket comes down in front. I have it clipped to that quilted caddy and have my scissors I use for trimming threads attached to it.

23.

24.

25.

Halloween Apron Swap

I signed up for my first swap Halloween in July on the Blooming Aprons Blog. My swap partner was Sherri who

said she liked black cats and pumpkins. She didn't like gory things.

I had seen what I thought was a cute cat quilt block pattern here. This was a child friendly quilt block posted as a free pattern on Quilters Cache. I used two buttons a round and star shaped ones for the eyes. Free-motioned the nose, mouth, and whiskers on the face. I also free-motioned the pumpkin and BOO on the orange background. The bib, neck ties and waist ties are Kona fabric. Used a thin batting in the bib.

I'm not sure the manufacture of the pumpkin fabric. They were putting it out at the fabric store one day when I stopped in after I signed up for the swap and I fell in love with it. Need to go back soon and get me some before it's all been sold.

We were to include a recipe or something we liked to do for Halloween. I buy Halloween Candy--rather full-size candy bars for my trick-or-treaters. My big baking time is Christmas. However, I go all out with witches in the trees and two scarecrows with bales of straw, wheelbarrows with pumpkins, gourds & mums. OH and black cats and crows around and about the front yard. Inside I have lots of pumpkins, gourds stuffed witches, scarecrows and other fall decorations.

Since I didn't have a Halloween recipe to share I included a posted notepad in the shape of "S", a little journal that could be put in purse to have on hand to jot ideas in when out and about and some Halloween themed ribbons I found when out shopping last week. I had planned to embroider a black cat on an orange handtowel...HOWEVER...my presser foot had issues with the towel checking the design and the hoop, moved the top layer of stabilizer in a flash and pulled the terry loops of the towel---ruining it beyond use!!! First time I've ever had that issue in the eight years I've had that machine. Tried in vain to purchase another orange towel. If I come across one later I'll do it and send it in time for Halloween.

Postman said she should receive it Monday or Tuesday in at the latest. Hope she likes it.

Now I did not intend to run all of the above together in one paragraph......I had blank lines between paragraphs but it would not show up that way. GRRR I have tried double and triple spacing between paragraphs but the results were the same!!!

Another About Me Questions and Answers Thing

I saw this on a couple of blogs I read so thought I'd do it too...I'm a copycat!!!

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? Two baby car-seats for my one and two year old granddaughters.

2. When was the last time you threw up? Not sure about a year or so ago.

3. What's your favorite curse word? I say shit way more than I should but I love hellfire...everyone in Daddy's family used it. Though I rarely say it.

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Laura and Rachel. Then an email from Becky saying Warwick won first game in Junior Division State Little League Tournament and Jake made a great play and got several great hits. Waiting to hear how their second game of the day turned out!

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? Sitting on the front porch working on a sudoku puzzle after reading the paper.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Outside with some of my pets.

7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? Sleeping.

8. Have you ever been to a strip club? No

9. What is the last thing you said aloud? Either "Yes, that white car is still parked outside in front of the house." Or, "Yes, I put the windows up in your truck and locked it."

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Since it's summer, Peach.

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Diet Pepsi.

13. What was the last thing you ate? Triscuit's Thin Crisps in Parmesan Garlic flavor.

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No---now that's a rarity!

15. When was the last time you ran? When I was in Colorado in 1998 back to car when an God awful storm hit on the mountain top out of the blue while we were on walking around looking at the views.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? Pilot's Baseball Game last night.

18. Who is the last person you emailed? Sandy

19. Ever go camping? NO!

20. Do you have a tan? Yes, but not to the extreme I did in my younger days. Now it's from baseball games, playing with grandbabies, just being outside in general.

21. Do you drink your soda from a straw? Not unless I'm in the car with one from a fast food place with a lid on the cup.

22. What did your last IM say? No clue been along time ago. Used to IM my daughter when she was in college and grad school back in 1998-2003. Once in a while to a former neighbor who moved to Idaho years ago.

23. Are you someone's best friend? Probably not.

24. What are you doing tomorrow? Going to Chippokes to Pork, Pine, & Peanut Festival (think I got those three P's in correct order) at Chippokes Plantation.

25. Where is your mom right now? Heaven, I hope.

26. Look to your left, what do you see? Lamp on table next to me. And then my husband on the other side of the sofa between our two recliners. God, that makes me sound so blessed old!

27. What color is your watch? Stainless with gold

28. What do you think of when you think of Australia ? Kangaroos!

29. Would you consider plastic surgery? YES! If it didn't cost so much!

30. What is your birthstone? Emerald

31. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive-thru? Don't go very often, but when I do it is the drive-thru if I'm with grandsons or alone. Inside if husband is along.

32. How many kids do you want? I wanted 12! Have one natural and two step.

33. Do you have a dog? Yes

34. Last person you talked to on the phone? My son-in-law.

35. Have you met anyone famous? Yes

36. Any plans today? No, day is over, just passing time until time to go to bed.

37. How many states have you lived in? One

38. Ever go to college? Yes

39. Where are you right now? In my family room at home.

40. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? The humidity we have in Virginia.

41. Last song listened to? I don't remember.

42. Are you allergic to anything? Some pollens.

43. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? This summer, various flip-flops.

44. Are you jealous of anyone? No

45. Is anyone jealous of you? Not that I know of...

46. What time is it? 9:00 p.m.

47. Do any of your friends have children? Almost all of them.

48. Do you eat healthy? So-so

49. What do you usually do during the day? Watch my daughter's one and two year old daughters and wait for her third one to arrive.

50. Do you hate anyone right now? No

51. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yes

52. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 57.

53. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No.

54. How did you get one of your scars? Surgery to remove tumor from my hand.

If you decide to do this let me know so I can check out your answers!

Which Sports Car are You?

I'm a Mercedes SLK!

You appreciate the finer things in life. You have a split personality - wild or conservative, depending on your mood. Wherever you go, you like to travel first class. Luxury, style, and fun - who could ask for more?

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

I saw this on someone elses blog and decided to take the test. Well, I never thought I have a wild side. I'd say I'm on the conservative or reserve side. BUT, I do remember some people WAY BACK saying I was not who I first appeared to be.........guess they were right......at least according to this test. Wish I had some way to contact them to see what they have to say about my results! I just had to copy them and put it on mine too!

They're District Champions!!!

They're the district champions!!! And now on to Lebanon, VA for the state tournament! After being delayed in starting the championship game Saturday and Sunday at various times each day, they finally got the game started at six p.m. Monday. They all looked tired and not into it as they had the other five games they played and won but they made the plays and got the hits when they needed them in order to win 9-4! They'll be leaving next Thursday to travel across state.

My grandson played in the state as a ten year old four years ago in Bridgewater. We are so excited he gets to go to state two times! Ironic thing is his aunt, my daughter played on the Senior League team that won the league's first district championship in 1995 when she was 15. Then Sr. League was made up of 14 & 15 year olds. Juniors were 13 year olds. One of the other young men on this team, with our grandson, his uncle was on the 11 & 12 Major League team back in 1995 and they won district the following night that year. We attended that game that year to support them. Then entire SR. team was there to receive their banner/flag after that game as the District Administrator was at a different field with their banner. She played baseball with the boys and was really really good. She played from age 7 through age 16 in the Little League program and the AAU program as well. In fact, one of the coaches on the opposing team was on the AAU team which she played on.

My other grandson, younger brother to the one above, has qualified for the city meet to be held in August. We're all excited for him too. Last year was his first year competitive swimming among the local neighborhood pool associations, yacht and country club pools in this area. Last year he qualified too and placed in the city meet. He qualified earlier in the season than he did last year.

Tuesday I did do some sewing on my apron I'm doing for the Halloween in July swap. Today I bought some orange thread I needed to do the next step. I had several spools of orange thread just not the correct shade.

I could not find pattern exactly like what I had in mind to do for this apron. The pattern I found on-line close to being what I wanted to do I found out when reading over the directions was a child's apron! Hence, I'm using three different patterns. I'm using another pattern I saw posted on the Internet for the sizes to cut the components. However, I did change them a little. One part I thought looked skimpy so I cut it a little wider. And another part I thought looked like an odd shape for that part so I cut that piece to what I thought looked more like it. And another part of the apron I got from a quilt site with quilt block patterns that children can piece. This block they said may require some adult supervision. I should have gotten some adult supervision!!! I had to rip part of it apart and redo it!

I should have sewn some on it today while the grandbabies took a nice long afternoon nap but it was so dreary and rainy I wasn't in mood and since part of it is sewing on black I knew I couldn't see clearly enough for that even with my two sewing lamps and on of those an Ott lamp I need a nice morning sun coming through my window near my machine when working with black fabric and thread.